ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · can · march · wind · pitcher · coach · vault · mark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mark — a grade
  8. march — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com